Teenager in court over July 21 terror charges

An 18-year-old woman appeared in court today charged in connection with the alleged attempted bombings in London on July 21 last year.

Fardosa Abdullah, from Finchley, north London, is accused of helping one of the alleged conspirators evade arrest and failing to disclose information about him.

Abdullah, who was 17 at the time of the alleged attempted bombings, faces charges of assisting her fiance Yassin Omar, one of the six men facing trial in connection with the July 21 incidents.

The 18-year-old, a British subject, who came to the UK as an asylum seeker from Somalia in 1998, spoke only to confirm her name and address at the short hearing today at City of Westminster magistrates court.

She is charged with, between July 20, and July 28 last year, "knowing or believing that Yassin Omar had committed offences of attempted murder, conspiracy to murder and offences contrary to the Explosive Substances Act 1883 in relation to the Transport for London system on the 21st of July 2005", assisting him in evading arrest.

Between the same dates she is also charged with having information which "might be of material assistance in securing the apprehension, prosecution or conviction" of Omar for an offence involving the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism, and failing to disclose it as soon as possible.

Abdullah, who appeared in the dock wearing a white sweatshirt, was remanded in custody to appear at Woolwich Crown Court this Friday, October 6.

Omar and five other men, all from London, face trial charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions on July 21 last year.